The Three Cs

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Let's cut to the chase today, Jesus has authority. He speaks with it. He commands it. And too many Christians, that is the followers of Jesus, ignore him. I've asked this question before, and I know the answer, but I have to ask it again. If you have been reading his Word, if you say you are a follower of Jesus, if you say you are a Christian, if you say you have been saved, then why aren't you flocking to his commanding presence? As Jesus wraps up his Sermon on the Mount, those listening to him are marveling. Jesus, who looks like you and me, is speaking as one with authority, not like other rabbis. He demands that we obey the Word (Matt. 5:19). And just in case we don't understand what the Word said, he spells it out for us: Remember your Lord before you think about calling people names (Matt. 5:2...

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. How fitting today that another 60 days would conclude with this verse. "I Am the Alpha and Omega," the Lord declares, believe in me. "I Am the Beginning and the End," the Lord declares, listen to me. Believe, He says, your thirst for life will be quenched! What a beautiful assurance, especially as we end the Revelation by John. As I have been reminding myself for weeks now: Faith comes through hearing the Word (Rom. 10:17). And if you have faith, God will save you (John 20:31). Don't fret about what you didn't do. Don't fret about what you did do. Do hear the Word. Do hear the Law. But lean on the Gospel. God is offering us forgiveness, if we will believe. From time to time, I think we all have doubts about this. So tomorrow I am going to begin a new 60-day cycle reading the Ne...

Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. This begins with a simply complex statement: I believe in God. I can't tell you when I first said it. And I don't know why I started believing to begin with. I have asked him why and … you know … he told me what I often tell my kids … just because. But why Dad, they ask. Because I said so. I interpret those conversations now as I know I don't need to know. God gave me the power to believe in omni-almighty, or something like that. So I believe in God. And, this is what he looks like? See, I am not sure if I can do it ... that is, talk about God. I have never been introduced to him, so I only trust that I will recognize him when I see him. I can't tell you if I have really heard his voice in all the conversations we'...

If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is tested. -- Martin Luther

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Christians today need to get their ears cleaned. Have you heard the news? There are "Christians" coming out in support of abortion . There are "Christians" coming out in support of same-sex marriage . There are "Christians" coming out in support of idolatry . There are "Christians" quietly dismissing adulterous and lewd behavior. Simply put, too many Christians are turning a blind eye to sin. Have you tried to watch television lately? Sin is OK, people are declaring. Sin all you want, never minding what I am doing; I will look the other way while you do it. How can one discard the Word of God while proclaiming to be a Christian? How can one believe Jesus is Savior without hearing the Word of God? If you don't believe the Bible is the Word of God, why would one even need a Savior? Are you denying the truth? God has answers for these questions and more through the whole...

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude wrote only 25 verses (26 sentences in New International Version), but he certainly knows how to nail sin to a tree. The Lord is coming, he warns -- coming to convict the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him. That's one thunderous round of repetition that surely will wake you from your slumber during his sermon. Listen up, Christian: Beware of those who follow ungodly desires. Beware because they are selfish, greedy, unbelieving, immoral, prideful people who, for lack of a more powerful word, are ungodly. Said another way: they don't believe that Jesus is the Savior...

We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. I don't understand why some (or is it most?) people don't believe God. Note here, I am not talking about believing in God; I am talking about believing God. I suspect most people, like the Bible says (Romans 2:15), believe in God because most people look at the stars, at the sea, at the mountains, at each other, in marvel, and declare God must be the creator. Creation is too amazing! Amazingly, some people don't believe at all. But horrifyingly, I suspect most people don't believe God. For as long as I can remember I have believed in God. Today, I definitely believe him. I crave to learn more about God. I crave the light (John 12:46) that emanates from God. I crave the food (John 6:35) and water (John 4:13) that God provides. And through all the trials and tribulations of my life, I have learned to trust, to believe, that God wi...

Jesus replied, Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. A couple weeks ago, as I was making my way through the ians -- that is, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Thesslonians -- I couldn't help but notice how the theme I kept seeing that week was God's call for us to believe . Although I can't write every day, as much as I want to, I also noted that in recent posts on passages from Philippians , Colossians and Thessalonians . This week, a new theme emerged: Obey. Or, as James 1:22 puts it, do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves; do what it says. Readings from Titus, Hebrews and Peter all reinforced it. Then, I hit my favorite book, John, which reminds us repeatedly that if you want to follow Jesus, you nee...

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. I wish I could have been more faithful to my journal here in the past week, but it's been a long week. Most notably, I got to see my son complete basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, thus earning the title United States Marine. I have written about this subject several times over the past six months -- most notably here and here . Nonetheless, I wasn't prepared for what happened last Thursday, when I got to see my son for the first time in three months. It was just three months, you know. It's not like he has been gone a year or so, like many Marines in the past, with their combat deployments to Afghanistan. It was just three months. Sometimes that feels like just a few days. I am not ashamed to say it, I cried when I first saw him Thursday. Actually, I cried twice: first, when I caugh...

And Saul approved of their killing him. There are certain passages of Scripture that just cut to the heart. Today, Day 2 of my reading of Acts, this line hit pretty hard, probably because of some recent conversations I have been having about calling sin sin. Saul, I was reminded, is a murderer. This devout Hellenistic Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, someone who is supposed to be one of the Good Guys, conspired in the arrest, trial, conviction, and punishment of Christians. Saul was excellent at persecution. And here, he led the charge in stoning Stephen to death. Saul is a murderer. You understand what that means don't you? Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him (1 John 3:15). For out of the heart come evil thoughts — murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person (Matt. 15:19-20). Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the k...